Who is favored in Missouri State Bears at Delaware Blue Hens?

Delaware Blue Hens are favored on the moneyline.

Missouri State Bears at Delaware Blue Hens

·Oct 20, 2026·6:00 PM CT·ESPNU·Newark, DE

By JR·2 min read

Missouri State(2-4)

Delaware(2-4)

6:00 PM

TLDR: Both teams are 2-4, and on Tuesday night in Newark only one of them gets to stop sliding. Missouri State just won a close one at home. Delaware has lost 3 in a row and will likely be down to a freshman quarterback, with Nick Minicucci listed out.

TUE 10/20, TUE OCT 20, 6:00 PM CT · Week 8 ESPNU

Missouri State

(2-4)

WLLLW

Delaware

(2-4)

LLLWL

Kickoff 58°

Missouri State and Delaware are both 2-4. The Bears are coming off a 3-point win over defending CUSA champion Kennesaw State, while the Blue Hens have dropped 3 straight. Delaware has listed Nick Minicucci out with a leg injury, so freshman Tyler Bell, fresh off a 306-yard night at Middle Tennessee, should make his third straight start. Both defenses have given up a lot of points lately, so this sets up as a shootout between 2 passing games.

Missouri State Bears

Belin threw for 300 and 2 TDs vs Kennesaw State
Myers: 7 catches, 135 yards, 2 TDs last game
Obeid 3-for-3 on field goals in a 3-point win
Allowed 30+ in each of its 3 losses
Scored 13 in the blowout at Western Kentucky
Travel east for a Tuesday road game

Delaware Blue Hens

Bell threw for 306 and 2 TDs at Middle Tennessee
Led Middle Tennessee late before losing by 3
Minicucci listed out, leg injury, no return timeline
Lost 3 straight, allowed 30+ in each
Down top RB Spiller and WR Salazer

The football side starts at quarterback. Henry Belin IV is coming off his best night of the year: 28-of-39 for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 24-21 win over Kennesaw State, with Isaiah Myers catching 7 balls for 135 yards and both scores. Delaware has played without Minicucci for 2 straight games since he got hurt in the 42-3 loss at Virginia. The game-day injury report now lists him out with a leg injury for an undetermined length of time. Unless something changes, freshman Tyler Bell gets his third straight start.

Delaware's offense has kept working without him. Bell threw for 306 yards and 2 touchdowns at Middle Tennessee, and the Blue Hens led 30-26 in the fourth quarter before Roman Gagliano hit Neo Clifton for a 14-yard touchdown with 3:06 left to win it 33-30. The roster around the quarterback has thinned, though. Running back G. Spiller has been shut down for the season, and receiver T. Salazer is out for an extended stretch.

Missouri State has done better with the schedule it was given. The Bears lost by 6 to Marshall and by 10 at SMU before getting run over 34-13 at Western Kentucky. Then they came home and beat Kennesaw State, the defending Conference USA champion, on 3 Yousef Obeid field goals. That win made them 1-1 in the league, while Delaware is still looking for its first conference win at 0-2.

Delaware's season has been all over the place. The Blue Hens scored 26 at Vanderbilt and 30 at Middle Tennessee, but managed 3 at Virginia and 14 at home against Liberty. Their only win in the last 5 was a 22-14 grind against Coastal Carolina, which says the defense can win a game when the offense keeps things simple. Neither defense has been stingy lately. Missouri State gave up 30, 34 and 34 in its 3 straight losses, and Delaware allowed 30 or more in each of its last 3.

The forecast for Delaware Stadium is good football weather: 58 degrees and clear, with a 7 mph wind and no rain in the forecast. That suits 2 offenses that want to throw. Missouri State has the hotter quarterback-receiver pair right now. Delaware has the home field and a freshman backup who just threw for 300, but it doesn't have its 3-year starter. Whichever defense gets a stop in the fourth quarter leaves Newark at 3-4.

Missouri State Bears at Delaware Blue Hens

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